Always There
by fawnjams
Summary: Beck can't sleep, so he calls the only person he knows will help him relax. Oneshot.


Tangled sheets and messy hair. This is what Beck always seemed to wake up to in the morning whenever Jade slept over. Of course, when he slept alone, this was never the case. He would never have to wake up in the middle of the night to find that all of his blanket's had been stolen by his partner and that he was freezing cold. He would never get stirred awake by the way Jade always shuffled around in her sleep, kicking or punching him unintentionally as she unconsciously tried to get comfortable.

But it wasn't like he didn't like it.

In fact, sleeping alone was much too... well, lonely. If he woke up too early, he wouldn't be able to simply turn on his side and let the sound of his girlfriend's breathing lull him back to sleep. And if he slept in too late, he wouldn't be awoken by the sound of her yelling, demanding that he 'get out of bed we're gonna be late to school you idiot,' her voice much more effective than any alarm clock.

Beck didn't care if he was woken up at 2 am with a fist in his face every now and then when it was more likely that he would awaken to sleepy kisses and needy fingers pulling him close, hands in his hair or around his waist or in more unspeakable places. He didn't mind being woken up if it meant he got to spend more time with her. His room felt empty at night without the noise that trailed behind Jade like a shadow, following her everywhere she went.

He found himself thinking all of these things as he lay in bed alone on a Sunday night, his eyes begging to close but his mind keeping him awake. It wasn't uncommon for them to spend nights alone-in fact, Jade was barely able to sleep over on school nights. They were still both teenagers, after all, with responsibilities and parents that kept close eyes on them. That was one of the first things they discovered that they had in common, in fact. While Jade's parents were definitely stricter than his, Beck knew what it was like to be talked down to and disrespected by his own family. It was why he'd started living in his trailer, after all. He wasn't a rebellious teenager or anything of the sort... he just needed his space. And having somewhere to hang out with his friends and his girlfriend where his parents couldn't eavesdrop was an appreciated bonus as well.

The two hadn't had much time to hang out this weekend. Jade was busy rehearsing for a play at Hollywood Arts, one that would be opening on Wednesday of the next week, so he had little chance to see her. She'd offered to let him sit in on rehearsals, but he'd declined. There was a certain wonderful, magical feeling that came with seeing his girlfriend perform, and he didn't want the effect tarnished by watching the play early. It didn't mean that he wouldn't show up to every performance of it when it actually was playing, though. He loved catching her eye while she was onstage, her character not broken at all when her eyes met his but her head tilting slightly in his direction-an acknowledgement. He knew it made her happy when he watched her perform. Almost as happy as it made him.

So he'd spent the weekend mostly by himself. They'd been able to visit a little on Friday evening, but rehearsal started so early on Saturday morning that she was unable to sleep over. And, unsurprisingly, the absence of her was palpable. Jade's presence was overpowering, demanding attention and drawing all eyes to her. This was one of the things that made her such an amazing actress. But, even moreso, it was the first thing that had drawn him to her. And the first thing that he always missed in her absence.

So, before he knew it, his hand was reaching for his phone, eyes squinting at the sudden light in his pitch-black bedroom. There was a moment of blindly scrolling and tapping at his phone before he managed to find her in his contacts list. He only hesitated one moment before pressing the 'call' button. He could only hope that she would pick up.

One ring... two rings... three rings...

"What?" came her voice from the opposite end of the line. Beck could tell that she had been sleeping; although she was obviously annoyed, her voice was slurred just slightly, indicating that his unexpected call had awoken her.

"Hi," he said, his voice soft and smooth. The silence hung between them for a moment, something that was rare in Jade's company. Despite the hundreds of times she'd woken him up in the middle of the night with a text or a phone call, he rarely returned the favor.

"Hello," she retorted, her inflection a bit confused. The ice in her voice returned, though, when she continued, "Is there a particular reason you called me at 1 am on a school night? Or did you just really want to say 'hi?'"

Beck couldn't help but smirk. Although no one else would notice it, this was Jade's subtle way of asking 'is everything okay?' He didn't usually call unless he had something in particular to say, and his unexpected check in had apparently worried her. He should probably have felt bad, but he was mostly just amused. Getting an emotional reaction out of her was one of his favorite victories, though he would never admit it.

He closed his eyes, the smile on his face remaining. Yes, a few minutes of banter with her would definitely be the perfect way to lull him into sleep.

"No reason," he said, his voice remaining even. "Just missed you."

Another pause. God, he loved catching her off guard like that. Although he was seen as a total 'charmer,' he really wasn't a verbally affectionate person. He chose to let his actions speak for him, just as Jade did. Which is why a kiss was the perfect way to resolve an argument, rather than an hour of talking through their feelings. The two of them had developed their own secret code, one spoken through body language. A kick under the table meant 'you're embarrassing me, shut up.' A gentle squeeze of the other's hand meant 'I'm here for you.'

A kiss, of course, was a simple 'I love you.'

Unfortunately, there was no way to use physical cues or body language on the phone, so Beck was left in the darkness, waiting for her to respond. He knew that she would retort with some kind of quip, but he didn't mind. The way she teased him was different than how she mocked others. It was affectionate, her tone different and her lips twitching as she tried to hold back a smile.

After a while, she did respond. He noted the word in the back of his mind as he found himself drifting into unconsciousness, his lips twitching with the exact same smile. She would probably hang up on him after she discovered that he fell asleep, but maybe she wouldn't. Maybe the sound of his breathing would help guide her back to sleep as well, the faint echo of her voice echoing in the back of both of their minds.

"Good."


End file.
